Jean-Pierre, 45, the French son of an Algerian soldier who fought on the French side during the Algerian war of independence, said Le Pen was right to demand tighter border controls because there were no jobs to give to new immigrants.
But Jean-Pierre and others in Aulnay said the bottom line about Le Pen was that she was fanning racism against foreign-looking people, especially French citizens of North African origin, by describing France's 5-million-strong Muslim population as problematic.

"I am a Muslim, and I'm French, and I cannot accept someone telling me that this or that custom is not acceptable," said Jean-Pierre, who owns a car-cleaning business, and said he voted for Sarkozy. "Does she forget that France was in Algeria for 132 years?"

Samir, a 29-year-old panel beater of Moroccan origin who said he had been laid off at the Peugeot plant, said Le Pen's anti-immigrant stance was hypocritical.

"Our parents came here on big boats during the 1960s to build France," he said. "How about thanks?"